"It's about Lt. McPherson sitting in there with that thing in the block of ice."

"Getting nervous?"

"Well, he wouldn't want me to tell you, sir, but he's having kittens. I haven't heard him squawk like this since Rechenberg."

"Really?"

"You see, sir, the ice is clearing up, and we can see that thing pretty good. It's got crazy hands and no hair, and the eyes...They're open and look like they can see."

There's not a lot new or particularly insightful I can offer when it comes to discussing the seminal sci-fi flick, The Thing from Another World that hasn't been written about ad naseum elsewhere. One of the most famous and influential of all 1950s creature features, it kicked off more than a decade of alien invasion and bug-eyed monster movie mayhem, inspired a host of future filmmakers (one of whom, John Carpenter, would go on to direct his own version of the story in 1982), and remains one of the best-written and engaging films of its kind.

Loosely (and I do mean loosely) adapted from John W. Campbell's novella, "Who Goes There?," The Thing is legendary director Howard Hawks' lone foray into the science fiction/ horror genres, but it fits comfortably into his filmography, featuring as it does Hawks' favorite themes: a group of tough professionals doing their job with ease, good-humored banter and practiced finesse; a bit of romance with a gutsy dame who can easily hold her own with the boys; and lots of overlapping, razor-sharp dialogue. Featuring a script by Charles Lederer and an uncredited Ben Hecht, The Thingis easily the most spryly written and funniest of all 50s monster movies. In fact, it's this sharpness in the scripting, and the extremely likeable ensemble cast of characters, rather than the now-familiar story and somewhat unimaginative monster design, that makes the film still feel fresh and modern to this day.

There's likely few people out there reading this who don't know the story of The Thing like the back of their hand, but here goes...When an unidentified aircraft crashes close to a remote research station near the North Pole, Captain Pat Hendry (Kenneth Tobey, in the role of his career) and his squad are dispatched there to investigate. Dr. Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite) heads the scientific contingent there, and he informs Hendry that he thinks the downed craft is possibly "not of this earth." A joint team of soldiers and scientists head out to the crash site and find an actual, honest-to-goodness flying saucer lying buried under the ice.

The spaceship is destroyed while the men try to melt the ice around it with thermite bombs, but they find a lone, 8-foot-tall extraterrestrial occupant frozen nearby and bring the body back to the outpost in a block of ice. Dr. Carrington and his crew of eggheads want to study the thing, but Hendry is adamant that it should be kept as is until he gets word from his superior in Anchorage, General Fogerty. It wouldn't be a monster movie without something going pear-shaped, of course, and before you know it, a careless mistake results in the creature being thawed out of his iceberg coffin and going on a bit of a rampage, taking out a number of sled dogs and a few unsuspecting scientists along the way. The rest of the film details the tense battle between the surviving humans and the coldly intelligent, remorseless alien invader, which seems virtually unkillable, impregnable to cold, bullets and fire...

Robert Cornthwaite as Dr. Carrington

The set-up for the film, and how everything eventually plays out, might seem overly familiarly nowadays, but in 1951, this was cutting-edge stuff, at least in cinemas. The Thing plays as a veritable blueprint of how to make a compelling "alien monster-on-the-loose" movie. Howard Hawks not being particularly well-versed, or even interested in, science fiction per se likely worked to its benefit, as he ended up making, as he so often did in his other films, what is first-and-foremost a well-oiled entertainment, rather than simply a genre exercise.

Typical of a Hawks film, The Thing is meticulously designed, composed and shot, but in such a way as to appear offhand. Hawks almost never went in for showy camera angles or flashy effects. His technique was nearly invisible; he just got on with telling the story, in the most straightforward, unfussy way. But this easy, seemingly effortless style was very carefully considered, by a shrewd and knowing mind. As Bill Warren, author of one of the best (and certainly most encyclopedic) books about 1950s sci-fi filmmaking, Keep Watching the Skies, notes in his detailed analysis of the film:

As most good movies do, The Thing works in two areas: sight and sound. The locale is a cramped, tunnel-like base; the men are confined within, the Thing can move freely outdoors in the cold. Compositions are often crowded, with more people in the shot than seems comfortable, reinforcing the idea of confinement After the Thing escapes, only the alien itself is seen standing and moving alone. (1)

This feeling of a cold, hostile environment outside the base is constantly reinforced throughout the film, and a real tension mounts when, towards the climax, the highly intelligent Thing, itself immune to the subzero arctic conditions, turns off the compound's heating, knowing the humans inside will quickly die without it. (The freaky, otherworldly theremin-flavored music by Dimitri Tiomkin adds a lot to the eerie atmosphere here.)

As groundbreaking and well-structured as the plot of The Thing was (and is), what makes the film play so well today is the great script and the interaction of a bunch of seasoned character actors, who toss off both exposition and pithy bon mots in such a low-key, believable manner. This is a truly ensemble movie, and the fact that it doesn't feature any big name stars really adds to the overall effect; no one really hogs all the limelight or gets the lion's share of good lines. Hawks was a director who usually worked with the biggest names in the business, but, much as in the earlier Air Force, he was equally at home working with a cast of rock-solid character actors.

All this talk of Howard Hawks as director, when it's actually Christian Nyby who is credited with the job, has long been a source of speculation with fans of the film. Todd McCarthy, in his bio Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood, seems to clear the issue up once and for all (though really, after viewing enough Hawks films, the results speak for themselves):

The perennial question surrounding The Thing From Another World has always been, Who actually directed it, Christian Nyby or Howard Hawks? The sum of participants' responses make the answer quite clear. Putting it most bluntly, (associate producer) Ed Lasker said "Chris Nyby didn't direct a thing. One day Howard was late and Chris said,'Why don't we get started? I know what the shot should be.' And I said, 'No, Chris, I think we'll wait until Howard gets here." Ken Tobey testified, "Chris Nyby directed one scene. Howard Hawks was there, but he let Chris direct one scene. We all rushed into a room, eight or ten of us, and we practically knocked each other over. No one knew what to do." Dewey Martin, Robert Cornthwaite and Richard Keinen all agreed that Hawks was the director, and Bill Self said, "Chris Nyby was a very nice, decent fellow, but he wasn't Howard Hawks." (2)

Crew Chief Bob (Dewey Martin) confers with Capt. Hendry.

James Arness before GUNSMOKE fame as "The Thing."

Nyby had been Hawks' editor on a number of films, and Hawks apparently decided to help his collaborator establish a name for himself by allowing him directorial credit on the film. This seemingly altruistic gesture didn't mean that Hawks wasn't involved in virtually every aspect of the making of the film, however, and ultimately, The Thing did little for Nyby's directing career, at least on the big screen (he did go on to a long and busy career directing for numerous television programs, however.)

McCarthy again:

Bill Self was told at the time that Hawks didn't take directing credit on The Thing because it was planned as a low-budget film, one in which RKO didn't have much confidence. But, as critics have been saying ever since it was released, The Thing is a Howard Hawks film in everything but name. The opening scene of various members of the team bantering is so distilled as to be a virtual parody of Hawksian overlapping dialogue. Even more than Only Angels Have Wings, the picture presents a pristine example of a group operating resourcefully in a hermetically sealed environment in which everything in the outside world represents a grave threat. (3)

In addition to all the masculine camaraderie and spooky goings-on, one of the best aspects of The Thing is the fun, charming little tease of a romance between Capt. Hendry and Nikki (top-billed Margaret Sheridan). Nikki works as Prof. Carrington's assistant and is not merely the requisite "babe" in the film. True to the Hawksian norm, she's no pushover when it comes to trading insults with the men, nor a shrinking violet when up to her neck in perilous situations. Unlike most actresses in 50s monster movies, she doesn't utter a single scream in The Thing, and in fact, it's her practical suggestion which gives Bob, Hendry's ever-resourceful crew chief (Dewey Martin), the notion of how to finally kill the monster. Lederer and Hecht's screenplay hints at the backstory to Nikki and Pat's relationship in humorous and oblique ways, and their flirtation amidst all the chaos adds sparkle to the film but never gets in the way of the pace of the story. One nice little throwaway exchange near the finale encapsulates their verbal give-and-take, as Nikki playfully pokes the temporarily-befuddled Hendry, as his men scurry about, setting Bob's plan in motion.

Nikki:

Hendry:

Nikki:

Looks as if the situation's well in hand.

I've given all the orders I'm gonna give.

If I thought that were true, I'd ask you to marry me.

One of the iconic moments in science fiction film history.

Sheridan, a former model signed to a 5-year contract by Hawks, is quite good here, but after The Thing her career never really caught fire and she retired from acting a few years later. The closest thing to a star turn in the film is Kenneth Tobey as Capt. Hendry. Tobey racked up an impressive number of credits throughout his nearly 50-year-long career, generally as gruff, competent military men or similar types, and he was always good value, though it's as Capt. Hendry in The Thing that he truly shines. He consistently humanizes the no-nonsense, take charge man of action Hendry by displaying an easygoing approach to command. Most of Hendry's men call him by his first name, and delight in ribbing him about his budding romance with Nikki, and he responds to all this joshing in kind. When things get hairy, Tobey's Hendry doesn't have to bark his orders; it's clear that, despite the friendly banter, his men hold him in high esteem and leap to do his bidding at a moment's notice.

Kenneth Tobey and Margaret Sheridan

Many of the other members of the cast, while none of them ever became household names, will likely be recognizable from countless other roles in both film and television. Hawks gave Dewey Martin co-star billing in The Big Sky a few years later. Robert Cornthwaite kept busy for decades on stage and television, as well as in supporting roles in films such as Monkey Business, Kiss Me Deadly and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? John Dierkes (Dr. Chapman) and Douglas Spencer (Scotty) both had juicy roles in the western classic Shane, as well as many other movies too numerous to name. Sharp-eyed viewers will also recognize Eduard Franz, Paul Frees (he of the famous voice) and Groucho Marx's right-hand man on You Bet Your Life, George Fenneman, in pivotal roles. And of course we mustn't forget 6' 7" James Arness (years before becoming renowned as Marshall Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke) as the hulking Thing.

A quick note on the "remake": John Carpenter's The Thing (1982), a bleak, grisly and brilliant take on the story, was a box-office dud when first released, but has since attained well-deserved status as a modern classic. While most fans seem divided into two camps - those who love the more restrained, old-fashioned thrills of the original, and those who prefer the more visceral, paranoiac Carpenter version - I happen to treasure both films equally and revisit each of them often. The Carpenter version is by far the gutsier, unsettling one, emphasizing as it does the "trust no one," shape-shifting "the alien is one of us" scenario imagined by John W. Campbell, but the Hawks' film is the most fun, with a far more likeable array of characters, working together to defeat an implacable menace. Each has its own clear merits. I wouldn't want to do without either film, and frankly see no need to choose one over the other.

"Every one of you listening to my voice...tell the world. Tell this to everybody, wherever they are: Watch the skies. Everywhere. Keep looking. Keep watching the skies."

Source Note: (1) excerpted from Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, by Bill Warren, published in trade paperback in 1997 by McFarland Classics. (2) and (3) are from Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood, by Todd McCarthy, 1997, Grove Press Books.

DVD Note: The Thing from Another Worldis out on a very affordable DVD from Turner Home Entertainment. While the print exhibits some occasional speckling and film dirt, overall the transfer is in reasonable shape, though a crisp new Blu-Ray would be most welcome. However, where the DVD really falls down is in its criminal lack of special features, and this movie is crying out for a more extras-packed release.

John

6/20/2013 04:27:03 am

You hear a theremin in the music score, not a zither. I think it's given credit as being the first electronic musical instrument. Miklos Rosza used it frequently in his film scores. The music comes from radio waves manipulated by hand. Seing it played by an expert is kind of mind blowing. Here's Clare Rockmore, one of the first masters of playing composed music on the theremin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSzTPGlNa5U

I've always liked the Carpenter remake. One of these days (maybe this coming Halloween) I'll have triple feature and watch all three versions back to back.

Jeff

6/20/2013 01:30:11 pm

D'oh! Stupid mistake! That's what I get for composing a blog post in the middle of the night. Thanks for the correction, John - duly noted!

Kevin Deany

6/20/2013 07:22:05 am

I'm glad you showed the picture of Tobey tied up while being taunted by Sheridan. It's one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Who knew such playful kinkiness existed in the Arctic.

Count me in as one who doesn't care for the Carpenter movie much. All those beards make it hard to tell everyone apart.

For someone who didn't think they had anything new to say, I thought you did a fine job of pointing out many of the best aspects of one of my favorite films of the 1950s.

Jeff

6/20/2013 01:37:25 pm

Thanks for stopping back by, Kevin! I hear you re: the ubiquitous beards in the Carpenter film...it used to bother me, too, but now I see it as pretty realistic (a lot of bearded guys do look somewhat alike, especially dressed in parkas, etc.) I also think it adds to the rather anonymous, confusing nature of the threat from the Thing itself.

I didn't take the time to mention how that lengthy scene in the original, with Sheridan and a tied-up Tobey, was for years cut from TV prints of the film. Thankfully, the DVD has the full cut. It is a fun scene, maybe not 100% necessary to the plot but nicely fleshing out their past history.

Rod Croft

6/20/2013 10:07:56 am

I can confirm your statement that, " ....but in 1951, this was cutting edge stuff..."

Our family had permanent reservations for Saturday evenings at our local theatre, and I well remember the reaction that this film engendered. In those days of generally family-oriented entertainment, few, if any films were rated, "Not Suitable for General Exhibition" - the ultimate in Adult entertainment.

I was on the cusp of reaching double figures in years, and my brother five years younger. That Saturday evening, after watching this film, my brother insisted he sleep with my parents, while I, (my bedroom situated in the back of the house), retired into his bed, which was in the next room to my parents.

I was too young to appreciate the subtleties of relationships or anything else, for that matter, but certainly the "suspense", "shock" and, in those days, the "horror" of the situation.

Jeff, thanks for your interesting and informative review of this entertainment.

Jeff

6/20/2013 08:39:59 pm

Once again, Rod, I want to sincerely thank you for giving this site your perspective as someone who watched the film at the time of its original release. Nice to hear it was indeed scary at the time, at least for kids. How cool is that, that your family had permanent reservations at the local movie theater?!

Terence Casca

6/20/2013 03:56:58 pm

I don't really see the attraction here; the script is bad, the acting is wooden[and not in the good way], and the thrills are really not there, especially relative to some of the other films available at the time. The monster is one of the saddest for a film of it's reputation; I honestly think that if Howard Hawks' name wasn't attached, nobody would give a doodle. I feel like it's a bit of the sheep-like director worship.

The remake is legendary...how Carpenter managed to pull that one out of this particular hat is a mystery...but I'm glad he did! Still the top Sci Fi horror movie in my book.

Jeff

6/20/2013 08:35:06 pm

Hey there, Clayton (nice nome de plume)! Well obviously, I have to categorical disagree with everything you said about the original THE THING, in all respects except one - the lameness of the monster. I still like it in a goofy 50s kind of way, but there's no denying it's not very imaginatively designed or scary.

But of course, as you know, we definitely agree on the Carpenter version...his masterpiece for sure.

Jeff, you will probably not be surprised to know that I am one of those few who know nothing about this movie. In fact, I never even heard of it until now! Yes, I'm serious! Science fiction and/or monster movies have never been my thing. So, I had to leave you a comment just so you know that you have enlightened me.

And I have to admit, when I saw Howard Hawks name on that terrific poster you included, I was speechless for a minute. I had no idea he had ever gone the sci-fi route! So, you've enlightened me twice today!

Interesting information about the director duties. That kind of behind-the-scenes info is always fun to learn.

Jeff

6/22/2013 10:05:19 am

Hi Patti! Thanks as always for taking the time to comment, even if you're not into a given film or its genre...always appreciated! I hope some day you do decide to give this one a try, it's not too scary and is just a really good film. Just as watching all those Audie Murphy westerns lately might be slowly mellowing you towards the western genre; the same might go for a handful of classic sci-fi movies too.

Jeff, you've made me want to see this crazy film again. I like what you said about Hawks' style - he gets to work telling the story.

Now I'm going to have to scour TCM's schedule...

Jeff

6/22/2013 10:10:44 am

Thanks, Ruth! Hope you can get your THE THING fix via TCM, though they may not be showing it again till Halloween. Hawks did have have a real knack for making just plain old entertaining movies...that's why he's one of my favorite directors. I can only think of a few of his films that don't really work for me, and even those have some good stuff in 'em.

Terrific little article Jeff; you cover everything of note and offer some good analysis too.
I think I first caught this on TV when I was in my early teens. I guess Carpenter's film would have been released then but I hadn't seen it so comparisons were an issue. Anyway, I loved it at the time - the closed off world, the threat, the atmosphere, the Hawksian group dynamic. For that reason, this version has always shaded it for me. I have the highest regard for Carpenter's movie, and agree it's a classic in its own right, but Hawks' movie will always be my favorite.

Jeff

6/22/2013 10:13:36 am

Hey Colin, - cheers for the response! Good to hear you're also an admirer of the Carpenter version. It's sooo well done, claustrophobic, dour and nasty but extremely effective. The Hawks' version is apples and oranges, really, but just as effective in its own, very different, way.

Terrific write-up Jeff - I was just thinking about this movie yesterday after coming out of a screening of MAN OF STEEL which has a clear homage t this film when Lois Lane turns up to investigate a Krypton space craft discovered buried in the Canada's frozen wastelands somewhere. On re-watching the Hawks version I was surprised how it mainly works as a vampire story. Nyby did have a good career on TV as you point out (and did his son, Christian I. Nyby II) so I have always suspected that he worked a bit more on THE THING than has been suggested (he did some great work on I SPY for instance) - he didn't amass 300 TV directing credits without knowing what he was ding after all. Either way, Hawks was definitely in charge, without question - really want to watch this again along with the Carpenter remake - thanks chum!

Jeff

6/24/2013 10:03:45 pm

Cheers, Sergio! You make a valid point about Nyby's television directing career...I've seen a number of those I SPY eps he directed and they are pretty good for sure. I've no doubt he accrued some skills working with Hawks for years as his editor and on THE THING. Pity he didn't go on to more worthy film work, but I'm sure his TV career was fairly lucrative.

Also cool to hear about the MAN OF STEEL homage...I'm looking forward to checking out MOS in August, once it hits screens here in Japan.

Excellent, in-depth post, Jeff! I really enjoyed reading your insights about the film, and learning more about the Nyby/Hawks director debate.

While I prefer Carpenter's take on the same material, I agree that both films have their relative merits, and are landmarks in science fiction. The score by Dimitri Tiomkin incomparable.

On a side note, I've always thought that it would be interesting to see the three-eyed monstrosity described in Campbell's original tale.

Jeff

8/6/2013 11:38:51 pm

Hi there, Barry! Looks like I didn't lose your comment after all...glad I was able to rescue it from the Internet ether. Good to see another fan of both versions of this tale (let's pretend the 2011 "prequel" never happened). I do wish that Hawks had went for some of the more "out there" design concepts for the monster that his crew first came up with, but the movie is so enjoyable and well-crafted that I don't really mind its mediocre title creature.

Great review Jeff! My resident classic blogger reviewed this for me a while back but I still haven't seen it yet. I'm intrigued that someone above mentioned about the MAN OF STEEL homage about Lois inspecting Kal-El's spaceship, how cool is that!

Hope life's treating you well in Japan. I thought of you when I was watching Pacific Rim last night as there are some references on that country and one of the actresses is from there (Rinko Kikuchi)

Jeff

8/6/2013 11:41:18 pm

Hi there, Ruth! Sorry, due to some snafu with my blogging software, I didn't see this comment from you until today. Anyway, thanks as always for chiming in on my posts, it's always much appreciated! I do hope you get a chance to check this film out someday - it's an oldie but a goodie, as they say...maybe your passion for MAN OF STEEL will get you to give it a view sometime. BTW, I'm really looking forward to seeing the new Superman film when it hits Japanese theaters later this August.

Fantastic review, Jeff! I am also a fan of both the original and Carpenter's version, which seems to get better with each viewing. Both films take advantage of the isolated snowy setting, which highlight the tension (as you wrote). I enjoyed the quotes from McCarthy's book, too.

Jeff

8/6/2013 11:43:40 pm

Thanks very much, Rick! I agree that both films are of that special type that improve the more you watch them. Something about a remote, snowy setting adds to the tension and the creep factor. Another one with a similar setting, from the golden age of the TV movie (the 1970s), is A COLD NIGHT'S DEATH with Robert Culp and Eli Wallach.

Great review of a film I love. It is so typically Hawks in the ensemble cast and the way they communicate with each other. Kenneth Tobey did well with probably his only leading role.
A pity Margaret Sheridan didnt get some more good roles.
Haven't seen the remake. not interested.

Jeff

8/6/2013 11:46:13 pm

Sorry for the belated reply, Vienna - and thank you for your comment here! I agree with you wholeheartedly that Kenneth Tobey made for a fine leading man, and wish he had been given more such opportunities; ditto Margaret Sheridan. Given your love of classic movies, I'm not surprised you haven't much interest in the Carpenter version. It's pretty gnarly, but very, very good in its own way.

Greg Oese

1/4/2015 03:32:20 am

Watch the thing every so often .First saw it in the 50s on Million Dollar Movie... and to this day I would like to know how the cat like sounds emitted by the Thing were produced... any answers? Thanks kindly Greg

Jeff

5/9/2015 05:20:56 pm

Sorry for the late reply, Greg...afraid I don't know right offhand how the weird Thing noises were produced for this film, but will look into it and let you know if I find any answers. Thanks for reading!

Brad Casey

5/7/2015 01:15:22 pm

A terrific review of my all time favorite Scifi movie. All the characters in the 1951 version were fun to watch. Good drama and scary fun. I disagree with you about the monster. To me seeing an 8 ft monster who can tear a door off its hinge, is hunting you to drain all your blood, is scary enough. Also the only time I do not check a Miss Sheridan out is the severed hand scene. It sure looks like she was falling asleep there. Thanks for your blog.

Jeff

5/9/2015 05:23:02 pm

Thanks for the comment, Brad! That's funny re: Margaret Sheridan looking asleep during the severed arm scene...will keep a lookout for that next time I watch the movie (which, knowing me, will probably be sometime later this year!)

Brad casey

5/10/2015 11:30:24 am

Thanks for your reply Jeff. This,is a great website. One other little flaw to point out. Although I love this movie and tend to ignore it. Check out the radio man as he lights his cigarette when the team is trying to get a hold of the General. It is quick. Watch Tex.

Jeff

5/14/2015 09:00:13 pm

Thanks, Brad! You've got a real eye for catching these kinds of flubs. I never seem to notice those kinds of things. Some people just have the knack. For sure, I'll try and catch these two gaffes next time I watch.

terry free

12/4/2015 03:07:04 pm

I have always enjoyed the 1951 version of The Thing, my taste changes in movies through the years and the ones I used to find entertaining I don't now, but, The Thing will always be my favorite. But what I would like to know what happened to the entire cast of The Thing.